Psychology professor and mindfulness entrepreneur, Dr. Sheena Revak, helps others achieve balance with mindfulness workshops, online courses and private coaching.
When she’s not teaching college students at Embry Riddle Aeronautical University, psychology professor and entrepreneur Dr. Sheena Revak is busy helping others conquer anxiety, depression, stress and overwhelm with mindfulness workshops, online courses and private mindfulness coaching.
In a recent interview for our monthly publication, The Ripple Effect, Dr. Revak, a teacher at heart, shared with us her passion for using mindfulness to help others and how she balances her busy day job with her entrepreneurial side hustle.
Dr. Revak has the unique perspective of launching a side hustle that, by all accounts, had a very successful initial launch, but became overwhelmed by the management of it and deciding to pivot into a different approach.
This interview was part of a series that explores the Side Hustle economy with some of our members (current and former):
What is your main gig, and what is your ‘side hustle’ (name and business description)?
My main gig is being a psychology professor (my research specialization is mindfulness), and my side hustle is facilitating mindfulness workshops. I have a mindfulness course and private coaching options in the works as well.
What inspired you to start doing your side hustle (was it born out of passion, or necessity)?
Mindfulness is what has helped me the most personally. I have always started all my classes with short meditations and/or a mindful breathing exercise/technique. I also used to see patients as a therapist and I used mindfulness during our sessions to help with anxiety, depression, stress, overwhelm, and burnout.
Do you ever see your side hustle becoming your main gig? Was that the goal? What would you have needed to happen in order for your side hustle to replace your day job?
Possibly. I love to teach and help others and luckily I am able to do that through my main gig and my side hustle.
Dr. Revak with her husband and son.
You mentioned having another side hustle and the work getting overwhelming (as a solopreneur) with a busy professional career, which ultimately drove your decision to end that project. Can you expand on that a bit?
I was running a mental health themed e-commerce shop however I found that workshops were a better fit. Workshops require less time, no inventory, no shipping, and teaching about mindfulness has always been a passion of mine (I feel it is my purpose).
My dissertation covered mindfulness, and I credit mindfulness with saving me at a time in my life when I was really struggling. Although I think many things can raise well-being and improve mental health, mindfulness is the thing I have seen help the most so I decided to focus solely on that.
What did you learn from the first project that you might apply to the next?
I learned a lot about licenses, finances, taxes, profitability, and some new technical skills such as website building and email/social media marketing.
What tips do you have for someone wanting to start a side business in terms of getting started, time management, and expectations?
Do your research, stay organized, manage your time wisely (prioritize and maintain a healthy work-life balance to avoid burnout), and ask for help when you need it. It also helps to get a mentor or take a class on what you are interested in doing. Start where you are and use what you have! Don’t let the fear of the unknown or the fear of what other people will think keep you from acting.
Take the most logical first step and then the next step will appear. Like my business, it may morph over time but there is no failure, only lessons. It won’t all be easy but if it is your passion and purpose then keep going and it will be worth it!
As Oprah says “Follow your passion. Do what you love, and the money will follow. Most people don’t believe it, but it’s true.”
To learn more about Dr. Sheena Revak’s mindfulness workshops, see:
Website coming soon to drsheenarevak.com
